Flying-machine.



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0. W. JOHNSON.

FLYING MACHINE.

APPLICATION mum JAN.19, 1910.

Patented July 30,1912.

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0. W. JOHNSON. FLYING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 19, 1910.

1,034,245. Patented July 30, 1912.

3 SHEETS-SHBET 2.

0. W. JOHNSON.

FLYING MACHINE.

APPLIGATION FILED JAN. 19,1910.

Patented July 30, 1912.

3 SHEETSSHEBT 3.

24 t- AIZHUNAU l IUS OLIVER W. JOHNSON, F GENEVA, OHIO.

FLYING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 30, 1912.

Application filed January 19, 1910. Serial No. 538,840.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OLIVER \V. JOHNSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Geneva, in the county of Ashtabula and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Flying-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention comprehends certain new and useful improvements in flying machines of the heavier than air type, and the primary object of the invention is a machine of this character which will insure absolute safety in alighting, regardless of its pro pelling ability, or the operativeness or inoperativeness of. any of the actuating mechanisms.

The invention also has for its object, a simple, light and durable construction of flying machine which may be easily and quickly lifted from the ground in a circumscribed area, and without the necessity of selecting a relatively large open and level spot, and which may be easily propelled and kept at all times under perfect control either in ascending or descending or traveling in any desired course. And the invention also has for its object, a simple and light construction of flying machine which may be propelled by the ordinary foot operated bicycle, without material changes in the construction of the latter, the sustaining plane of which may be folded so as to occupy a minimum amount of space in a stable or other place of storage and which, owing to its light construction, may be propelled over the ground by the bicycle in traveling along the road or wherever it is not desired to fly.

With these and other objects in view as will more fully appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists in certain constructions, arrangements and combinations of the parts that I shall hereinafter fully describe and claim.

For a full understanding of the invention, reference is to be had to the following description and. accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a flying I machine constructed in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof, a portion of the main plane being broken away; Fig. 3 is an enlarged side elevatlon 55 of the central portion of the structure; Fig.

d is a rear elevation thereof; Fig. is a side elevation of a portion of the cage of the device, the driving mechanism, and the means for shifting the center of gravity of the sustained load relatively to the suspension plane; Fig. 6 is a top plan View of the parts illustrated in Fig. 5; Fig. 7 is a detail view of a portion of the main suspension plane; and, Fig. 8 is a detail perspective view of a portion of the frame for said plane.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the accompanying drawings by the same reference characters.

The supporting and suspending framework of my flying machine embodies a preferably flat circular plane, the body portion of which is composed of canvas, as indicated at l, or of other cloth or silk, the same being lashed at its outer edge to a circular sectional hoop or ring 2. The ring 2 may be composed of any desired number of curved sections having av jointed connection with each other and arranged to be rigidly fastened together so as to complete the ring. In the present instance, each of the sections except one of them, is formed at one end with a socket 3 into which a tenon or dowel 4 on the adjacent end of the adjoining section is adapted to be slipped. The ring 2 is thus built up section for section until the last sections are to be joined and at this point one of the sections is provided with a clamp 5 pivotally connected thereto and adapted to he slipped by a sidewise move-' ment over the adjacent end of the adj0ining section, said clamp being provided wit-h a hinged member 6 which is clamped against the two meeting section ends, a cot ter pin 7 being subsequently slipped through apertures formed in lateral ears 8 formed on the clamp so as to securely fast-en the adjoining ends together.

In addition to the fiat and circular suspension plane just described, the framework of the machine embodies a cage A which is located at the center of the suspension plane and which defines an opening formed in the center of such plane. The cage A in the present embodiment of the invention embodies a main hoop 9 to which the canvas or other body portion 1 of the plane is lashed in any desired way, and upper and lower preferably somewhat smaller hoops 10 and 11, all of said hoops being circular or substantially so. The hoops 10 and 11 are connected to the main intermediate hoop 9 by brace rods 12 as shown and the outer edge of the suspension plane is secured to the upper and lower hoops 10 and 11 by any desired number of guy rods or wires 13. Within the cage A a forwardly and backwardly swinging frame B is mounted. This frame comprises downwardly bowed rods or bars 14, the ends of which converge at opposite sides of the main intermediate hoop 9 of the cage, said ends being rigidly connected in any desired way to brackets 15 which are in turn pivotally connected to said hoop. The frame rods 14 are connected to a bicycle G which in the present instance, constitutes the main propelling device as well as subserving other functions which will be made apparent by the following description, the foremost rod being clamped to the head of the bicycle as indicated at 16 and the rearmost rod being clamped to the bicycle underneath the seat post thereof as indicated at 17. Preferably braces 18 secure the rearmost frame rod 14 to the rear fork 19 of the bicycle.

In order to swing the frame B so as to shift the center of gravity and the inclination of the other parts of the framework including the main suspension plane relative to the rider on the bicycle and the frame B which directly supports the latter, I have provided a link rod 20 which is connected at its front end to a lug 21 formed on the lower hoop 11 at the front thereof, the rear end of said link rod being connected to the lower end of a hand lever 22 which is fulcrumed intermediate of its ends on a standard 23 to rock about a horizontal axis, said standard being secured to the bicycle frame and being formed with a quadrant 24 with which a detent carried by the hand lever is designed for engagement. Obviously by rocking said lever back and forth, the weight of the rider may be shifted and the plane tilted in any desired direction so as to effect the rising or descent of the machine, or the load may be securely held in a position where the suspension plane will be perfectly level, so that the entire machine may gradually descend with gravity as the only motive power.

The bicycle C is provided with the usual crank shaft 25 to which the ordinary sprocket wheel 26 is secured, a chain 27 passing over said sprocket wheel 26 and over a sprocket wheel 28 secured to the rear wheel, so that the machine may be propelled along the ground on front and rear wheels 29. In addition to the sprocket 26 the crankshaft 25 carries a sprocket 30, and a sprocket chain 31 passes around the sprocket 30 and also around a sprocket wheel 32 loosely mounted on one end of a shaft 33. The shaft 33 is journaled in a casing 34 which is secured to the head of the bicycle by a clamp 35 for instance, and there is secured to the end of the shaft 33 opposite the sprocket wheel 32 a bevel pinion 36 which meshes with a corresponding pinion 37, on a longitudinally extending shaft section 38 also journaled in the casing 34. The shaft section 38 is square or otherwise non-circular in cross section and is telescoped in a correspondingly shaped socket which is formed in a complemental shaft section 39 extending forwardly and journaled to rotate about its longitudinal axis in a bearing formed on the lower hoop 11 at the front thereof. The forward end of the shaft section 39 carries a sprocket wheel 40. A chain 41 passes around the sprocket wheel 40 and also around a sprocket wheel 42 secured to a shaft 43. The shaft 43 extends longitudinally as shown and is journaled in boxings 44, the said boxings being supported by a forward extension 9 of the main or intermediate hoop 9 of the cage A while the rearmost of said boxings is supported in a vertical brace 45, extending from the upper hoop 10 to the lower hoop 11 and connected to the same. A propeller 46 is secured to the shaft 43 and is mounted to revolve within a space formed by the forward extension 9 of the main or intermediate framehoop of the cage. In order that the propeller may remain motionless whenever desired without affecting the operation of the bicycle as a propulsion means for carrying the device over the ground, I have provided a clutch 47 which is designed to secure the loose sprocket 32 to the shaft 33 or uncouple the wheel from the shaft.

In order to steer the machine I have provided a vertically disposed and laterally swinging rudder D. This rudder D is preferably formed of canvas or other cloth or silk as indicated at 48, the same being stretched on a substantially U-shaped frame 49 connected at its forward end to a vertical rod 50. This rod has a pivotal connection with a vertical framework rod 51 which extends downwardly from the rear end of the intermediate or main hoop 9 of the cage A below the lower hoop 11, being secured at its upper ends directly to the main hoop and intermediate of its ends to a rearwardly extending brace 52 whichis connected at its front end to the lower hoop 11. The rod or shaft 51 is provided at its upper end with laterally and oppositely projecting tiller arms 53, said arms being connected at their outer ends to the rear edge of the frame 49 by brace rods or guys 54.

Cables 55 and 56 are connected at one end to the respective tiller arms 53, said cables extending forwardly and upwardly around pulleys 57 that are mounted in the cage and the cables thence extending inwardly as best illustrated in Fig. 2, and are connected at their opposite ends to a post or arm 58 which is secured to and which projects rearwardly from the steering head of the bicycle (see Figs. 5 and 6). It will thus be understood that the handle bars of the bicycle may be turned to the right, and consequently steer the machine to the right and that a movement of the handle bars in the opposite direction will cause the machine to steer to the left.

In describing the practical operation of my improved flying machine, it will of course be understood that in traveling to the point at which it is desired to fly, the main suspension plane is in collapsed condition, the parts being lashed in any desired way to the cage A. In this manner, the aviator will travel along the road for instance either by trundling the machine or preferably by riding the bicycle C; upon arriving at the place where it is desired the flight shall begin, the aviator will spread the canvas sections out on the ground much in the manner of a camper spreading out his tent preparatory to erecting the same, the sections being lashed to the main hoop 9 of the cage A and'he will build up the ring 2 of the suspension plane in the manner hereinbefore set forth. After the guy rods or wires 13 have been secured in place, the machine will be ready for operation. In the actual use of the machine, the operator will push the machine along to obtain some momentum before leaping into the saddle of the bicycle and will then maintain the equilibrium by pedaling and manipulating the hand lever 22 at the proper time which will of course be learned by experience to effect an up tilt of the main suspension plane and the lifting of the machine off of the ground. The clutch 47 will be thrown in at the proper time to start the propeller 46 in motion and the rising and maintaining of the flying machine at the desired ele vation will be controlled by the hand lever 22 while the steering will be effected by the handle bar of the bicycle C and the cables and rudder above described.

In coming down from any given height the aviator can use either one of two methods. For instance, he may by gliding downwardly forward or backward or in a large spiral course alight at the desired point without too much momentum, precisely as is now the practice with the operators of other flying machines. The other plan which I prefer and to which my invention is peculiarly adaptable is for the operator to stop the movement of the propellers so that the forward momentum of the machine will be practically m'Z directly over the place where it is desired to alight. He will then bring the bicycle to the center of gravity mark on the quadrant, thereby maintaining the supporting or suspension frame on a dead level with the bicycle and its rider, the machine then slowly settling to the earth with the suspension plane acting like a parachute. If strong currents of air happen to be met with, a slight dipping downward of the plane against such currents will cause the craft to glide a little in that direction, and soon sufficient skill will be acquired by any one to be able to keep the craft directly over the alighting point in any kind of weather fit to fly in. Of course the propellers can be used to keep the craft against the wind, instead of gliding if desired, but in case of any breakage of the parts, the gliding plan is the only one left open to the aviator unless one does not care just where he comes down which will be done just as safely by not gliding as by gliding the only difference being the spot on which to alight. Just before alighting, it will manifestly be a good plan to start the propellers a little and thus move forward enough so that not the least jar can be eX- perienced when contact with the ground is made.

It is to be understood that the entire cage is open, in other words that the suspension plane is cut out at its center where the cage is located. But of course, if desired, a sun shade may be provided within the cage or canvas may be stretched within the circular hoop 10 and securely lashed to the framework.

lVhile I have shown my flying machine as arranged primarily for a single aviator it is to be understood, that the invention is not limited thereto, nor to the number of suspension planes to be employed, nor in any wise so far as the construction, arrangement and proportions of the parts herein shown and described are concerned, as various changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined within the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A flying machine of the heavier than air type, including a sustaining plane embodying an outer circular hoop, an inner circular hoop concentric thereto and fabric stretched between the inner and outer hoops and connected thereto, the outer hoop being constructed in a plurality of jointed sections whereby it may be folded, with the fabric attached thereto upon the inner hoop, a cage of which the inner hoop forms a part, said cage including upper and lower hoops equally spaced from the inner hoop, the cage being centrally balanced, and a swinging frame member pivotally attached to said cage coincident with the center of the plane, substantially as and for the purpose set fort-h.

2. A flying machine of the heavier than air type, including a sustaining plane embodying an outer circular hoop, an inner circular hoop concentric thereto and fabric stretched flat between the inner and outer hoops and connected thereto, the outer hoop being constructed in a plurality of jointed sections whereby it may be folded, with the fabric attached thereto and to the innei hoop, a cage of which the inner hoop forms a part, said cage including upper and lowerhoops equally spaced from the inner hoop, the cage being centrally balanced, a swinging frame member pivotally connected to said cage coincident with the center of the plane and adapted to swing forwardly and backwardly, and power producing devices suspended by said frame and movable therewit 3. A flying machine of the heavier than air type, including a sustaining plane embodying an outer circular hoop, an inner circular hoop concentric thereto and fabric stretched fiat between the inner and outer hoops and connected thereto, the outer hoop being constructed in a plurality of jointed sections whereby it may be folded, with the fabric attached thereto upon the inner hoop, a cage of which the inner hoop forms a part, said cage including upper and lower hoops equally spaced from the inner hoop, the cage being centrally balanced, a swinging frame member pivotally connected to said cage coincident with the center of the plane and adapted to swing forwardly and backwardly, and power producing devices suspended by said frame and movable therewith, said devices including a longitudinally movable shaft section, another shaft section extensibly connected to the first named shaft section, a propeller, a propeller shaft journaled on the inner hoop, and driving connections between the shaft sections and the propeller shaft.

4. A flying machine of the heavier than air type, including a circular fiat sustaining plane composed of an outer hoop constructed of a plurality of sections jointed together and capable of being detached one from the other, an inner hoop concentric to the outer hoop and fabric stretched between said hoops and secured thereto, upper and lower hoops connected to and equally spaced from the inner hoop and forming a cage therewith, a suspension frame embodying clownwardly bowed front and rear bars pivotally connected to the inner hoop coincident with the center of the plane, an adjustable connection between said frame and the lower hoop, whereby said frame may be held at difi'erent inclinations relative to the cage, a driving device carried by said frame, a propeller carried by the inner hoop at the longi tudinal center thereof, and operative connections between said propeller and the driving device.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

OLIVER W. JOHNSON. [1,. s.]

VVit-nesses C. D. ADAMS, ANNA AMIDoN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). 0. 

